Freshdesk vs AeroChat for Online Stores: Pricing, Channels and Alternatives (2026)
Updated November 2026.
Freshdesk helps your agents work through tickets faster. AeroChat finishes the customer’s request inside the chat. Freshdesk suits a store with a support team that needs ticket queues, SLAs and reporting, priced per agent. AeroChat suits a store that wants order, product and payment questions resolved in the conversation on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, TikTok Shop buyer chat, web chat and email, with the store, payments and couriers connected. AeroChat works alongside your current helpdesk, or replaces it.
Freshdesk and AeroChat at a glance
| Freshdesk | AeroChat | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A helpdesk from Freshworks that turns customer messages into tickets for agents, with the Freddy AI Agent and Freddy AI Copilot | Chat infrastructure that runs your customer service and sales workflows, for online stores and service businesses |
| Pricing model | Per agent a month, plus Freddy AI Agent sessions and an optional Copilot add-on per agent | Flat monthly plans sized by AI responses. Your team’s replies use no credits |
| Messaging channels | Freshworks sells Freshdesk Omni, at a higher per-agent price, for teams that want messaging channels in the same workspace | Web chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, email and TikTok Shop buyer chat on every plan. Shopee and Lazada are supported too |
| What it does in chat | Routes and organizes conversations for agents. The Freddy AI Agent answers routine questions in sessions | Answers from your store data, looks up orders after checking the customer, sends a payment link, detects the payment and confirms the order, books delivery and runs any workflow you describe |
| Setup | Set up ticket views, automations and SLAs, then add apps from the Freshworks marketplace | Connect your store and channels, then describe each workflow in your own words. No code needed |
Freshdesk details from Freshdesk pricing and Freshdesk Omni pricing, checked 11 November 2026.
Where AeroChat is different
The request is finished in the chat, not queued
When a customer asks “where is my order?”, AeroChat checks the email or phone used at checkout, looks up the order in your store and replies with the status and tracking. No ticket is created and nobody has to pick it up. When a customer says “I’ll take it”, AeroChat sends an Airwallex payment link, detects the payment and confirms the order in the same thread. The customer never types “paid”.
Every messaging channel on one plan
The same workflows run on web chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, email and TikTok Shop buyer chat. Your WhatsApp number can stay on the WhatsApp Business app on your phone while it runs on AeroChat. See how WhatsApp coexistence works.
Connected to the rest of your store
Shopify, WooCommerce and Wix are built in, and so is Airwallex. In Malaysia, AeroChat books delivery with POS Malaysia. Reviews apps, returns apps, couriers and CRMs connect through their public APIs. You describe what you want, paste in the system’s key, and AeroChat builds the workflow.
Freshdesk can stay
If your team likes Freshdesk for complex cases, keep it. AeroChat can resolve the routine conversations and pass anything outside your rules to your team with the order details. See connecting AeroChat to Freshdesk.
When Freshdesk may suit you better
- You run a large agent team on email and phone. Freshdesk is built around ticket assignment, SLAs, escalation rules and workforce reporting.
- You already use other Freshworks products. A team on Freshsales or Freshservice may want support in the same suite.
Freshdesk pricing explained, as of November 2026
Freshdesk charges per agent, then adds AI on top. These are the prices on its pricing page, billed annually. Freshworks says annual billing saves 20% against monthly billing.
| Plan | Freshdesk, per agent a month | Freshdesk Omni, per agent a month |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | US$19 | US$29 |
| Pro | US$55 | US$79 |
| Enterprise | US$89 | US$119 |
On top of the agent price:
- Freddy AI Agent: each account gets its first 500 sessions once. After that, sessions cost US$49 per 100. A chat session lasts 24 hours from when it starts, and an email session lasts 72 hours from the customer’s first email.
- Freddy AI Copilot: US$29 per agent a month, as an add-on for Pro and Enterprise.
- Voice on Freshdesk Omni: an add-on from US$15 per agent a month on Growth.
- Trial: 14 days on the Enterprise plan. If no plan is chosen at the end, the account is suspended.
So a Freshdesk bill grows with three things: how many agents you have, which plan they need, and how many conversations the AI Agent handles after the first 500. A store with five agents on Freshdesk Omni Pro pays US$395 a month in seats before any AI sessions or Copilot.
AeroChat prices differently. Plans are flat and sized by AI responses, with no per-resolution fees, no limit on admin users and no charge for your team’s own replies. See the pricing page.
Other Freshdesk alternatives
- AeroChat: resolves order, product and payment requests in the chat across every messaging channel, priced by AI responses.
- Zendesk: a customer service suite priced per agent. Suite Team is US$55 per agent a month billed annually, with 5 automated resolutions per agent and US$2.00 for each pay-as-you-go resolution, as of November 2026. See Zendesk alternatives.
- Gorgias: a helpdesk for ecommerce priced per ticket, plus per AI interaction. Starter is US$40 a month for 50 tickets and 30 AI interactions, as of November 2026. See Gorgias vs AeroChat.
- Intercom: a helpdesk with the Fin AI Agent at US$0.99 per outcome, from US$29 per seat a month, as of November 2026. See Intercom alternatives.
- Help Scout: a shared inbox priced per user from US$25 a month on Standard, with AI Answers at US$0.75 per resolution, as of November 2026. See Help Scout pricing explained.
- Re:amaze: per team member from US$29 a month, with 5 to 20 AI resolutions per user and US$0.85 for each extra one, as of November 2026. See Re:amaze vs AeroChat.
Other prices from each company’s own pricing page, checked 11 November 2026: Zendesk, Gorgias, Intercom, Help Scout, Re:amaze.
Switching from Freshdesk, or running both
- Connect your store. Shopify, WooCommerce or Wix connects in the AeroChat dashboard, and order lookups work straight away.
- Connect your channels. Start with WhatsApp or web chat. Your WhatsApp number can stay on the WhatsApp Business app.
- Bring your answers across. Add your policies, help articles and FAQs so the answers match what your agents say today.
- Describe your workflows. Order status, returns, refunds up to an amount you set, and payment in the chat.
- Decide what goes to Freshdesk. Anything outside your rules can go to your team in Freshdesk, or stay in AeroChat’s inbox.
Questions
Is AeroChat or Freshdesk better for an online store?
If you want order, product and payment questions resolved in the chat on WhatsApp, Instagram and your website, AeroChat is the better fit. If your priority is a ticket queue for a large team on email and phone, Freshdesk is an option to look at.
How much does Freshdesk really cost?
As of November 2026, Freshdesk is US$19 to US$89 per agent a month billed annually, and Freshdesk Omni is US$29 to US$119. The Freddy AI Agent costs US$49 per 100 sessions after the first 500, and Copilot is US$29 per agent a month.
Can AeroChat work with Freshdesk?
Yes. AeroChat connects to Freshdesk through its API. It can resolve routine conversations in the chat and pass the rest to your team in Freshdesk with the order details.
Does AeroChat charge per agent?
No. AeroChat plans are sized by AI responses. Admin users are not limited, and your team’s replies don’t count towards the plan.
See AeroChat resolve your own store’s questions
Connect your store and WhatsApp, then message your own number with a real order number. Check the reply against what your Freshdesk agents would have sent.
Start your 7-day free trial. No credit card needed.
On Shopify? Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store.
